Olympus woos enthusiasts, photo pros with XZ-1 and PEN E-PL2 digicams

Olympus announced two new cameras at the Consumer Electronics Show, and, man, are they hot -- the diminutive XZ-1 and classy PEN E-PL2. Both cameras should appeal to enthusiasts and to pro photographers looking to carry a lighter kit. Honey, get the credit card. I want both.

The XZ-1 is Olympus' response to other high-end compacts, such as the Canon S95, Nikon Coolpix P7000, and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (I got the Lumix DMC-ZS7 for Christmas; get the gift receipt because it's going back for refund). These cameras generally pack high-end features, such as big-aperture lenses and RAW-capture capability. The XZ-1's f/1.8 lens is remarkable in a compact and will let in lots of light (the PowerShot S95 is f/2.0) for shooting in dimly-lit areas or for better producing the bokeh, or background blur effect, popular for portrait photography. Perhaps more than any other feature, the lens distinguishes the XZ-1 from other high-end compacts.

Another characteristic among this class of camera: 10 megapixel. Contrary to marketing convention, in compacts more megapixels often isn't better. The more pixels squeezed onto the senor, the more artifacts and other distortions produced. The XZ-1's 10 megapixels is about right for the 1/1.63-inch CCD sensor.

There are features aplenty. Zoom range is 28mm to 112mm (film equivalent); the 3-inch OLED monitor is 600k resolution; auto ISO range is 100 to 3200; shutter speed is 60 - 1/2000 sec; 720p HD video records in stereo sound, among other features. The XZ-1 measures 110.6 mm wide by 64.8 mm high by 42.3 mm deep and weighs 275 grams. The camera is available this month in white or black for $499.99.

For $100 more, Olympus also offers the new PEN E-PL2, micro four-thirds camera. Unlike the Olympus XZ-1, the E-PL2 can swap lenses. Olympus and Panasonic co-developed the micro four-thirds standard, which puts a dSLR-size sensor in a much smaller body and with generally smaller lenses. The E-PL2 measures 120.5 mm wide by 70 mm high by 35 mm deep and weighs 335 grams. For comparison, the Nikon D7000 dSLR measures 132 mm wide by 103 mm high by 77 mm deep and weighs 690 grams. It's a substantial difference. I've used Nikon dSLRs and own the PEN E-P2 and can attest to the portability advantages.

The 12.3-megapixel sensor is the same found in Olympus E-30 and E-620 dSLRs. The standard E-PL2 kit comes with updated f/3.5-5.6 and 14mm-24mm lens. Olympus has added new accessories, and one is surprising -- what Olympus calls the MAL-1 "macro arm," for positioning light for close-up shots or shooting HD video. Also new: Bluetooth accessory called PENPal. Olympus chose Bluetooth over WiFi for sending photos wirelessly. Both accessories fit in the camera's flash hot shoe.

The E-PL2 is a modest upgrade from the E-PL1, although features are now a bit more comparable to the higher-end E-P2. The sensor is the same as the E-PL2. Many other features are either the same or tweaked. The camera is available this month, in four colors, for $599.99 with kit lens.

Besides the camera, Olympus also announced three new compact conversion lenses: fisheye, wide-angle and macro.